Crook faked partner’s death to trick courts

Nicholas Mann, aged 22, was already facing four charges of dishonesty when he told court officials that his partner had been killed in a road accident. He backed up his claim with an email which he got from a funeral directors by posing as a policeman but then doctored the wording. It stated a funeral had taken place for his partner Urszula Wojcik.

She was unaware of the plot and was left ‘devastated’ when she found out, but still stands by him, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told yesterday.

The court heard how Mann, of Hales Road, Wednesbury, came up with scam prior to being sentenced for two charges of fraud relating to buying and selling or cars and two charges of obtaining car insurance falsely.

Mr Howard Searle, prosecuting, said: “The defendant told probation he was the sole carer of his child, he said his partner had been killed in a road traffic accident. He produced a letter from the funeral director indicating there had been a funeral for his partner.”

He added: “He had impersonated a police officer, he had contacted the funeral company and said the police wanted confirmation there had not been a funeral.

“Believing the request was genuine, an email was given to a made-up account saying there had not been such a funeral.

“He changed it to say there had been a funeral. But she had been at his house when he had been arrested.”

Judge John Warner said: “This was a sophisticated and planned attempt to mislead the courts.”

Mann, who admitted all charges, was sentenced to eight months for perverting the course of justice, and given a consecutive eight-month sentence for fraud.